It’s Personal

(Psa 139:3 KJV)  Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.

I could’ve picked almost any verse in this Psalm.  The entire passage rings with the reality of knowing the living God and the living God knowing us.  I picked it up in the first verse.  It was still there in the last.

When God said His name was Yahweh and let Moses know that means “I am”, He was pointing out to us that not only is He real but He is a person, and that person relates well with us.  He spoke as a friend with Moses.  He walks with us every day.  Notice how this verse indicates that God is with us at all times in all activities.

So?  I find that very comforting.  God is not just out there.  He is also right here and I greet Him with Joy.  I hope you do too. 

Getting What You Deserve

(Psa 56:1 KJV)  To the chief Musician upon Jonathelemrechokim, Michtam of David, when the Philistines took him in Gath. Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me.

(Proverbs 10 also read)

This Psalm spoke to me today.  As I read through it I found different versions of being “swallowed” (trampled NASB) (7602b).  I had no fear of physical danger.  The attacks were all verbal but they cut deep.  Maybe I was just being oversensitive.  Maybe I misinterpreted what I was hearing.  What makes these things cut deep is my conviction that I deserve to be talked to this way.

This is where God being “merciful” (gracious NASB) (2603a) is so important.  Eventually I turn to Him and allow Him to interpret what I am hearing.  Through His filter I am able to separate the hostility from the facts.  Usually there are few facts involved and there is little I can do except take the admonition of Jesus and turn the other cheek.

And of course there are the few things that are valid.  Those need to be considered and I can do that when God helps me to respond in love instead of react in pain.

So?  We will be attacked.  Usually it is mostly undeserved.  Turn to Him and let Him help you sort it out and get on to positive living. 

Layers of Comfort

(Mat 5:4 KJV)  Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

(Proverbs 17 also read)

On Wednesday night the pastor is doing a study in Matthew.  He came to the Sermon on the Mount and was working through the Beatitudes.  On this verse he made some generic statement about how God will “comfort” (3870) [parakalew] us when we go through a loss.  Okay, but that word comfort stirred a number of thoughts in me.  

First I wondered if that was the same word used for “Comforter” (KJV) or “Helper” (NASB) as a name for the Holy Spirit in John.  One of the middle agers had an app on his phone and said, “Yes.”  I was glad to see my suspicions were correct and sad that the connection never occurred to the pastor.  

Second, I remembered a passage I had once memorized but now was escaping me.  It turns out it is the same word,

(2Co 1:3 KJV)  Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
(2Co 1:4 KJV)  Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

The idea is expanded further.

So?  When we have reason to mourn we need to be aware of the promise of the Holy Spirit.  In addition, I think we as believers are called to comfort and support each other in a crisis or loss.  It is how the Body of Christ is to work.  Trust the Comforter.  Be a comforter. 

A Redeemer Reminder

(Pro 23:11 KJV)  For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee.

It is easy to breeze over this verse but pause a moment to think about the concept of “redeemer” (1350).  Today I am thinking of how this is expanded and explained in the New Testament.  Think of the job description of Jesus.  We think of Him as our redeemer.  That goes beyond His death on the cross.  It goes to that part of the Apostles creed that mentions how He sits at the right hand of God the Father.

(Rom 8:34 KJV)  Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

We also see the idea referring to the Holy Spirit.

(Joh 16:7 KJV)  Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

Here the Greek word for “comforter” has the idea included of advocate.

So?  One of the things that we tend to forget is that God has promised to be with us all along the way.  People may mess with us.  Satan may attack.  The economy may fall apart and they may again start arresting Christians.  He will be with us.

Getting the Blues

(Proverbs 20:30 KJV)  The blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil: so do stripes the inward parts of the belly.

There are some lessons that we don’t want to hear or learn.  This verse is one of them.  It stands alone here at the end of the chapter.  It is like Solomon had to sneak it in when we were not expecting it or we would refuse to read it.

We don’t like “blueness” (stripes NASB) (2250).  This is talking about the way a bruise turns our skin blue.  It is the kind of injury that causes damage but does not break the skin.  It is painful when inflicted but usually is just an unsightly reminder after that. 

We don’t like the hard parts of life but it is clear that we learn better in adversity than we do in the good times.  Obviously there are exceptions but a general fact of life is that hard times make us grow and the good times make us lazy and fat.

So?  Rejoice if you are having a bad day.  Take your bruises.  Benefit from the experience.  A bad day with a lesson learned my keep you from a rotten future when it is too late to change. 

The Snow of Life

(Proverbs 31:21 KJV)  She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.

There is a song this verse brings to mind.  It talks about the good times and the bad times that we face.  The chorus goes like this.

    Some thro' the waters, some thro' the flood,
    Some thro' the fire, but all thro' the blood.
    Some thro' great sorrow, but God gives a song
    In the night season and all the day long.

The title is “God Lead Us Along.”  It is a musical way of saying we need not be “afraid” (3372) of the “snow” (7950) of life. 

And snow will come.  Trust me.  You say you don’t need to trust me because you have experienced it. 

So?  Expected trials and tribulations.  Also expect comfort and consolation.  God will provide the winter clothing that we need. 

Good Splash, Bad Splash

(Proverbs 25:25 KJV)  As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.

Timing is everything.  Well, maybe not everything.  We don’t want to get carried away in the moment.  But, timing is important.  You can throw “cold” (7119) “water” (4325) on someone’s idea and destroy their enthusiasm.  You can throw cold water on the face of your sleeping brother and generate a lot of enthusiasm.  You can offer a cup of cold water to a worker on a hot day and be greeted with enthusiasm. 

Are you sensitive to other people?  Do you rub salt in their wounds or give them “good” (2896a) “news” (8052).  I don’t expect to be perfect.  I don’t think you will be perfect.  That is not an excuse to keep from doing better.

So?  Listen with your heart as well as your ears.  You have the ultimate good news to share.  Try to be the cup of cold water that is greeted with joy, not horror.  Listen to the Spirit.  Blessings as you create a splash. 

Don’t Be a Spiritual Hospice

(Proverbs 12:18 KJV)  There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.

This is a lesson I need to learn.  Rebuke and correction are part of our lives, but our attitude and approach are to be tailored to the people we deal with.  We see passages that talk about the rod and force having their place but there is a danger for the one who “speaks” (981).  The NASB has this “speaks rashly” because it means more than just talking.

This brings to mind another passage in Proverbs:

    PRO 15:1 A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.

Our ultimate goal is not to win an argument or look good but to “bring healing” (4832).  There is a difference between healing and comforting.  Pain relievers don’t necessarily heal but often it is necessary to deal with the trauma or shock will kill.  The healer deals with both, but never loses the goal of healing. 

If all we are concerned about is comfort we become a spiritual hospice, making death comfortable.

So?  Comfort as you can, but don’t forget it is only one step in a plan to redeem.

A View from the Top

(Proverbs 18:10 KJV)  The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.

Verses 10 and 11 contrast the values of the “righteous” (6662) and the unrighteous.  One puts his confidence in the “name” (8034) of the Lord;  the other in what he can build himself or pay others to build.

Think about the names of the Lord.  Jesus is Lord.  The name Jesus is defined for us by the angel appearing to Joseph.

(Matthew 1:21 KJV)  And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

The Old Testament equivalent of Jesus is Joshua and it means savior or one who saves.  One reason the world hates this word is that if there is a savior, we need saving.  Post modern philosophy and Emergent Church theology reject this idea.  That would imply that there is something wrong with us.  An awareness of my sin and my need for a savior is one of the reasons that this name is so special to me.  Jesus becomes my strong tower because He saves.

Then there is the key Old Testament name for God which most books today write as Yahweh but the older books translate as Jehovah.  This is the name that God revealed to Moses. 

(Exodus 3:13-14 KJV)  And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?  And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

In the Hebrew there were no vowels so His name would be transliterated YHWH.  That is the reason for the different names in English.  The name was considered so holy that it was not to be pronounced so no one knows what vowels were intended to be used.  The key to me is that the name means “I am.” 

We serve a God who is.  He is not a figment of my imagination.  He is not the creation of a group of bored philosophers.  He is to one who gave those philosophers the ability to think, as warped as they may be.  YHWH becomes my strong tower because He is.

So?  I don’t know about tomorrow.  I don’t even know about today.  I do know about now and eternity.  The in between times I will let my Tower worry about.  Join me and enjoy the view.

Smoothies

(Proverbs 15:4 KJV)  A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.

I think this is another approach to the thought of verse 2.  A “wholesome" (soothing NASB) (4832)  “tongue” (3956) can be a good thing.  Notice I did not say “is” a good thing.  More on that in a moment.  Proverbs is full of reminders that it is better to be a peacemaker than an agitator.  Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers.”  This has the idea of healing.  Think of the first aid cream in your cabinet.  Think of petroleum jelly and all the soothing it does.  Our mouths can be that way.  We can calm angry people.  We can avoid stirring things up.  This is supposed to be a good thing.

But....  And it is a big “but.”  A soothing tongue can also be a “perversion” (5558).  Based on other passages in Proverbs, this is a deliberate goal for some people.  Perversion seems to have a consistent meaning.  It is a twisting.  Remember that much sin is a warping of a normal, God-blessed, activity.  Yes, we are to sooth and heal, but what about the times when the need is for reproof and rebuke.  What do you do when a brother in Christ needs correction and you are the person that God has directed to speak.  Part of love is doing what is right for the other person, not what is easiest.  What if Jesus had always followed the soothing route?  The rich young ruler would have never known the truth.  Peter would have not been corrected.  The Pharisees would have continued being smug and deceived.  Pilate would have been untroubled.  The list could go on.

So?  It is best to be a healing influence, except when surgery is needed.  In medicine the least invasive technique is best.  The same is true in our spiritual lives.  But remember that when the Holy Spirit demands more than a band-aid then a band-aid becomes perversion.

Walk Softly

 (2 Corinthians 1:3-5 KJV)  Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.

Affliction.  We don’t like it.  It happens.  Like C.S. Lewis in his discussion of the devil, we tend to take two unhealthy extremes.  We deny it or we wallow in it (my paraphrase).  Here we see a clear indication that we are to use the grace God gives us in our “tribulation” to help others through their suffering.  To help others we gain credibility with the endorsement of experience.  Having felt the “comfort” of God, we are better placed to share that with others, but what gives us authenticity is not the comfort but the pain.

A bit of caution is in order.  I recently was sharing the pain of a young woman who had lost an infant.  Her pain was real.  Her anger was understandable.  Part of her anger was directed toward people who tried to tell her it was all a part of some mysterious plan.  There may come a time when she will understand that but it is hard to see your dead child as a glorious example of God’s wise planning.  Comfort them, don’t lecture.  Often comfort is wordless.